Foods you should consume when you are sick

Being sick sucks! You feel miserable and you don’t want to spend your energy cooking. There is an old wives tale saying to “feed a cold and starve a flu”. This is not necessarily true. When you’re sick, you body is expending energy to make you healthy again. To help your body heal, doctors suggest fueling it with healthy, nutritious food. Hydrating yourself is especially important when suffering from nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. This can leave you seriously dehydrated. It can be hard to keep down food, but make sure you keep drinking and try eating easily digestible foods.

When you have a sore throat, you might not want to eat. Swallowing can be very painful, making you hesitant to eat anything. The same can happen when you’re congested. You can lose your sense of smell, which is obviously linked closely to your sense of taste. If you can’t taste your food, you certainly won’t feel like eating.

I have been under the weather recently and the doctor had instructed me to have healthy food. I love spicy, tasty food and restricting myself from having all this was really killing me. So I started to research and discover myself so that I can fulfil the need of doctor and satisfy my taste buds as well.

The below 5 amazing foods that I have consumed during my sick days will help you as well.

1. Ginger
A common drink to enjoy when you’re sick is ginger ale, but have you ever wondered why? Ginger is a natural anti-nauseant. When you are feeling sick to your stomach, drinking ginger beverages can be the best option. Instead of pop, opt for a popular ginger soda that contains real ginger, not just ginger-sugar flavoring. You can also make your own ginger tea by pouring boiling water over slices of ginger and honey. Enjoy this hot beverage and feel the stomach relief.

Ginger

According to a study from University of Rochester’s Dermatology and Radiation Oncology department, which monitored the effects of ginger prescribed to patients undergoing chemotherapy, a small, one-quarter teaspoon of ginger was effective in reducing symptoms of nausea by up to 40-percent.

2. Soup
Soup is another favorite when you are feeling sick. The warming broth relaxes your chest when you are congested. Garlic and onion broth give amazing nutrients and have been shown to be antimicrobial. Some people believe that you should restrict dairy intake when you have a lot of mucus and phlegm, which is true for creamy soups, like cream of chicken and mushroom, that can exacerbate coughing.

Tomato Soup – www.goodtoknow-uk

Although studies aren’t suggesting that a warm bowl of chicken soup will flat out cure what ails you, the popular and comforting home remedy has been credited for it’s ability to hydrate the body in hopes of fighting off infection, of reducing overall inflammation, and with freeing up congested airways, noses, and throats.

3. Honey
Not only is honey sweet and delicious, but it’s great for a sore throat. Honey is an antimicrobial and can help kill the bacteria on the back of your throat. Enjoy a spoonful of honey or mix it into tea. Warm honey tea can give amazing relief to a sore throat. The combination of the warm liquid and the bacteria-destroying honey is a powerful one-two punch. Mix it with ginger tea and you’ll have a delicious, soothing sore throat remedy.

Honey

Research presented at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society, found that honey is able to fight infection in multiple ways. For instance, honey has an arsenal of bacterial-fighting weapons on hand, such as polyphenols, high sugar concentration, hydrogen peroxide, osmotic effect, and a natural acidity, all which protect the body from bacteria and actively target and destroy bacterial cells.

4. Spicy Foods
When you’re congested, it may be hard to eat. You can’t smell, you can’t taste, and you’re just miserable. What you really need is to clear your sinuses and eustachian tube. The perfect remedy for this is to eat super spicy foods. Your body reacts to the burning sensation by loosening up the mucus that is clogging your body. Plus, the strong flavors will be easier for you to taste compared to tasteless, bland foods.

Spices – pramoda.co.in

For instance, research from 2011 that was published in the journal, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, lined cayenne pepper spice (or rather capsaicin, cayenne’s active ingredient) to improving circulation, making digestion more efficient, and even to relieving pain and congestion related to flu symptoms. The study prescribed capsaicin nasal spray to participants during a duration of two weeks and found that overall participants who used the spray suffered less congestion.

5. Orange Juice
Normally, most juices are high in sugar and overly processed. However, when you’re sick with a cold, a glass of 100-percent real orange juice (with pulp) can provide a vitamin kick when you’re not eating a lot or having trouble digesting foods high in fiber due to gastric distress. Juice is a great way to get vitamins and fruit sugar in an easily digestible format.

orange juice – organicfacts.net

Real vegetable juices are also a great choice. Whatever you pick, just make sure it’s 100% pure fruit or vegetable juice with no added refined sugars, colors, or chemicals. Plus, the natural vitamins and nutrients in real fruit juice (such as vitamin C) will boost the immune system and aid in energy stores to give your body that zip it needs to whip that flu bug.

So these were the top five foods to consume when you are ill, so the next time sickness pays a visit. You know what to do